By GEORGE LEDBETTER
A North Dakota animal science professor who is also a veterinarian and cattle producer will lead the Chadron State College Rangeland Management program’s 2021 Practitioner in Residence class beginning later in March.
Dr. Gerald Stokka, DVM, will teach the one-credit course, A Stewardship Systems Approach to Beef Cattle Health and Well-Being, Thursday evenings beginning March 18 through April 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., said Dr. Ron Bolze, associate professor.
CSC students do not need to take the course for credit and area residents are welcome to attend at no cost.
Cattle stewardship is a topic of increasing importance to consumers and the beef cattle industry, according to Bolze.
“Most ranchers have based most of their management decisions on what results in the greatest production, without consideration for what it cost to get there or what impact it might have on cattle welfare or environmental issues,” he said. “Traditional approaches to raising cattle consider individual disciplines such as nutrition, genetics, economics and labor separately, without a clear picture of the overall system of each producer’s unique operation. A systems approach takes into account the impact of management decisions on other important issues besides just gross production.”
Stokka currently teaches in the Animal Sciences department at North Dakota State University, and works with feedlots, stocker and cow-calf operations throughout the region. A member of numerous livestock industry organizations, he has experience with international agriculture projects in Africa and Central and South America. He is also a partner in a commercial Angus and registered Red Angus operation.
Bolze said he has worked on educational programs with Stokka and is confident the course will include practical takeaways for producers.
“He has the gift of conveying scientific principles in layman’s terminology,” Bolze said.
This is the fifth year CSC has offered Practitioner in Residence courses to students and area livestock producers through funding provided by the Bill and Virginia Coffee Family Foundation. Previous topics have included rangeland reclamation, insect pollinators, and ecosystem services.
“Past sessions have generated great discussions and broadened the horizons for our student and community participants,” Bolze said.
For more information, contact Bolze at rbolze@csc.edu or 308-432-6237.